1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of photographic equipment accessories. In particular, the present invention relates to a clamping device for quickly attaching and detaching a camera to a supporting structure, such as a tripod head or to a strap worn by the photographer. The device may also be used with equipment marketed by different manufacturers of photographic equipment.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Cameras are often mounted to a supporting structures, typically a tripod, in order to stabilize the camera position for taking photographs. There are a number of ways to attach cameras to tripod heads. Some cameras have threaded sockets in their bases for direct mounting to a fastener extending from the tripod. This method is time consuming and requires that the user take care that threads are properly aligned. Making adjustments or quickly changing setups are difficult with this arrangement. In the same way, cameras can also be connected to a strap or an enhanced camera transport straps U.S. Pat. No. 7,866,899. Previously enhanced transport straps required that a connector be threaded into the camera and the switching between the support structure and the enhanced strap required that the threaded connector first be unthreaded.
Also, variations between manufacturers of cameras and supporting structures are often found because of different design standards among the manufacturers, so using a certain brand of camera with a variety of manufacturers' supporting structures may be problematic. When photographing on a tripod it is often desirable to remove the strap from the camera to prevent any vibrations that could be caused by the strap movement especially when photographing outdoors on windy days.
To overcome these problems, cameras may be semi-permanently attached to an adapter plate (commonly known as a plate or quick release plate) by a clamping device that is semi-permanently attached to a tripod. This clamping device is designed to enable the user to quickly attach and remove a camera from a tripod head.
The clamping device may also be semi-permanently attached to a strap by putting a strap through the strap loop or to an enhanced camera strap using the enhanced straps, carabineer type hook, onto the loop of the clamping device.
With a clamping device semi-permanently attached to both the tripod and the camera strap, a photographer can quickly remove the camera from its strap and quickly attach it to the tripod and then when finished photographing, can quickly reattach the camera to its strap.
Traditionally, the clamping device may include an adjustment knob or a lever. There are those in the photographic field who believe that a knob has disadvantages, in that it may to too slow to use or could be accidentally loosened. A lever generally provides a quicker way of clamping and unclamping the plate, but generally does not provide the ability to use the clamp with small variations in equipment sizes among different manufacturers.
Thus there is a need for a clamping device that allows for quick attachment and detachment of cameras from supporting structures and straps that also allows for use with a variety of equipment sizes because of variations in design among manufacturers of photographic equipment.
There is also a need for a clamping device for use with photographic equipment that ensures that a camera will have a firm and stable foundation when mounted on a supporting structure, such as a tripod.
There is also a need for a clamping device for use with photographic equipment that allows quick and easy attachment to a supporting structure and can be quickly and easily removed and attached to a camera strap.
The clamping device according to the present invention overcomes the problems of prior art devices and methods and provides further advantages, as will be described.